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Federation Square will not screen Socceroos matches during next month’s World Cup due to “a small number” of badly behaved fans.
Melbourne Arts Precinct director and chief executive Katrina Sedgwick, who oversees the public square, said the decision was reached after careful consideration from the organisation in relation to inappropriate fan behaviour at previous viewing sessions.
“We’ve made the decision not to show the World Cup on Fed Square’s Big Screen this year. This is due to the behaviour of a small number of people at previous screenings which was simply unacceptable and damaging to Fed Square,” Sedgwick said.
“There will be plenty of other places getting into the World Cup spirit, and we encourage football fans to check out what’s on in venues across the city, and in their local areas,” she said.
Patrick Clancy, chair of Football Supporters Association Australia, criticised the decision, saying fans should not have to suffer because of a “few bad eggs”. He called instead for risk mitigation measures to be put in place.
“We are very disappointed in the comments from Federation Square that they are not going to go ahead with the live event … Fed Square is hugely popular with football fans, and people interested in the World Cup,” Clancy said.
“It has delivered iconic images that demonstrate our love for the game … We think that we should be celebrating this event, one of the biggest in the world. And we should be doing it in the best way possible.”
In a social media post on X, former Socceroos captain Craig Foster called on Premier Jacinta Allan to intervene in the decision, calling it “ridiculous”.
“It’s an important time for Aussies to feel together, watch the world’s largest sporting event, share in the national spirit,” Foster wrote.
Federation Square has long been considered a popular location to watch major sporting events, including matches for both the Socceroos and the Matildas during major tournaments. At the last men’s World Cup in 2022, fans described the atmosphere following Australia’s win over Denmark as among the best they had ever experienced.
“I’ve been to many football games in my life and nothing can top that, honestly. I can’t even put it into words,” fan Ali Soufan told this masthead at the time.
Public viewing locations for this year’s tournament are yet to be announced and are the responsibility of the state government.
The state government has been contacted for comment.
The Socceroos qualified for this year’s World Cup last June following an away win against Saudi Arabia, marking their sixth successive appearance at the tournament.
The World Cup is scheduled to kick off on June 11, with matches to take place across Canada, the United States and Mexico. The Socceroos will face Turkey in Vancouver on June 14 for their first group stage match.
Melbourne Arts Precinct has previously faced criticism following event cancellations at Federation Square. Last November, a free performance by Australian rock band Amyl and the Sniffers was cancelled minutes before it was scheduled to commence due to safety concerns.
Sedgwick announced the news to a booing crowd, and blamed a number of security and safety issues. In a later statement, she said the concert would have been “unsafe for the audience, staff and the band to continue with the show”.
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